The Hideaway at Headlam

The freedom of self catering and the facilities of a country house hotel combine at The Hideaway. This adults-only, dog-friendly apartment is tucked away within the grounds of Headlam Hall, a country house hotel in the Durham Dales. Sleeping two, it has everything you need for a comfortable self-catering stay but with the added bonus of the hotel’s bars, lounges and restaurants a short walk away. It has its own private garden and hot tub, but the hotel’s spa facilities and golf course are available to book too.

The Hideaway is the only self-catering option at 17th-century Headlam Hall, built in an annexe of the Gardener’s Cottage. Although a historic building, its recent conversion has given it a clean, spacious and modern feel. The double-height living space features both exposed beams and glass balustrades on its mezzanine floor (home to an extra relaxation area). Pop art, colourful furniture, quirky objets d’art and a 60-inch flatscreen TV give it a quirky appeal, but it’s functional too. The kitchenette features everything you need to cook for two, the bedroom is separate and features a super-kingsize bed and the bathroom has a walk-in shower with Molton Brown toiletries provided.

The Hideaway has patio doors opening onto a private garden, which has outdoor seating, a small lawn and a hot tub – very secluded, but a short walk from the main house, where you can share the same experiences as hotel guests: wandering through the four-acre walled gardens, playing croquet on the lawn or relaxing in The Library Bar. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served there or in the elegant Orangery.

You can also pay to play on the hotel’s nine-hole parkland golf-course or to use the facilities of the spa which has a 15-metre pool, a sauna, steam room and gym as well as treatment rooms and its own café. Off site, you can walk to two local pubs within two miles, and the town of Barnard Castle is nine miles west. Keep going and you soon hit The Yorkshire Dales (about a half-hour drive away). The Lake District is a scenic half an hour further than that and the Yorkshire coast is the same distance in the other direction.